Interviewing - Getting That Job

Common pitfalls

Not knowing how to write a good application form – either the presentation is poor or the
candidate undersells themselves

Sending CVs that are overly long, hoping this suggests credibility and experience

Not tailoring a covering letter or CV to the position

Lack of preparation – approaching the interview stage, some candidates take the ostrich approach
by burying their head in the sand and trying to forget about it until it is too late to prepare; their
lack of research and preparation lets down many interviewees

Missing visual (body language) clues – this often occurs as a result of intense focus taking on
the part of the interviewee, which results in them missing an important cue from the interviewer

Giving unexciting answers to questions – replies that do not demonstrate your abilities and
achievements, or are not at all memorable

Not having any good questions prepared

The halo effect – the average decision time an interviewer takes
to make their mind up is under four minutes (Webster 1964). The rest of the interview is spent
justifying the decision they have already made. Beware of giving a poor first impression – it is
hard to recover ground that is lost in the early minutes.